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Welcome to this not-for-profit paywall-free resource database & website created by Michael Vaughan PhD
An award-winnng weekly columnist for Canada's top newpapers including the National Post, Globe& Mail and Financial Times
Dedicated to providing readers with professional unpaid-for non-advertorial reviews
Saturday December 2, 2023

About Vintage Assessments
See our roots - 30 years & counting
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To Download all Vintages Release Catalogues
GO TO OUR SUPPORTER SECTION
CLICK HERE TO SIGN IN

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2023 BUYERS GUIDE

SEE ALL NEW LINKED 2023 VINTAGES REVIEWS
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LOOKING FOR A BEST BUY

Our Exclusive LINKED
Period 10 Summary
417 LTO offers valid until Sunday December 31
255 AirMiles offers valid until Saturday December 30

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New Best Buy Ontario Chardonnay
December 2 Vintages Release


Wescott Estate Chardonnay 2021
Vintages # 424507 - $29.95
Dry, Ripe, Rich, Gently Toasty *** (92 points)

Bright medium-light straw colour. Intense, very gently spicy, ripe, lemon meringue nose with some elegant, pear-tinged, toasty notes. Dry, medium bodied, nicely structured, bright, harmonious, very slightly spicy, intense, ripe, lemon-apple meringue flavours with a lingering, gently complex, rounded, toasty, bright, pear-tinged finish. Perfect with poultry! This ready-to-drink 100% Chardonnay (clones 76 and 95) was barrel fermented with wild yeast and partially aged for 10 months in French oak (10% new). It has 13.5% alcohol, 3 g/L residual sugar and 5.7 g/L total acidity with lot number L021522 on the lower part of the glass bottle.
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SOMETHING DELICIOUS
Bright, Sweet, Gingery, Seville Orange
***/***+ (94 points)


Emilio Lustau Vermut Blanco
Vintages #10812 - $29.95
Bright medium straw colour. Wow, this delicious Sherry-based Vermouth has an intriguing, very intense, complex, fragrant, faintly grassy, rosemary-tinged, gingery nose. Sweet, medium bodied, well structured, spicy, intense, bright, complex, citrusy, Seville orange marmalade flavours with some gingery, slightly herbal, walnut notes on the long, lingering, lifted finish. This amazing blend of two wines: a dry crisp Fino sherry and a sweet and floral Moscatel. It has 15% alcohol and 152 g/L residual sugar.


What do wine lovers REALLY need?
Do you do not need Electric Bottle Opener for $40
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You do need SPARKLING WINE CLOSURES
to be used immediatly after opening/pouring
ONE AT $9.99
and
ANOTHER AT $6

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THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL
If you have a cellar and love wine check out drink-ability with a CORAVIN TIMELESS starting at $239

NEW VISITOR RESOURCES
PAYWALL-FREE DATABASE
All REVIEWS are Unpaid & Unsolicited

ACCESS TO ALL RELEASES
70,000+ LINKED SCORES/NOTES
click here to SEARCH all reviews

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VINTAGES RELEASE PREVIEWS
DECEMBER 2 VINTAGES RELEASE
155 items with # of cases and agent id


SEE INITIAL BUYERS SUMMARY OF RELEASE
more reviews coming as wines become available
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DECEMBER 16 VINTAGES RELEASE
92 items with # of cases and agent id

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November 18 Vintages Catalogue

NOVEMBER 18 BUYERS SUMMARY

also not to be misssed
Discover this recommended Greek red
The Prime RIBEYE wine steakout of the release

courtesy of The Butcher Shoppe


EXACTLY 50 YEARS AGO
THE BIRTH OF VINTAGES


In those days it was called Rare Wines & Spirits and was initially located in 1973 on the LCBO third floor at 43 Freeland Street. It moved to its upscale location across from St. Lawrence Market a year later. Here is the 1st feature on the birth of Vintages.
Toronto Life article
when BOLLLINGER CHAMPAGNE BRUT 1961 was just $16.45 each
see my December 31 LCBO invoice for 2 bottles of Champagne

Also a very interesting October 30, 1973 purchase
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Article Archives
includes National Post, Financial Post, etc.
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Copyright Michael Vaughan 2023
Contact Michael Vaughan at mbv@uniserve.com